HeraldTimesOnline.com
IU to provide IT support services for Ivy Tech
By Mike Leonard 331-4368 | mleonard@heraldt.com
September 4, 2012
Indiana University’s information technology support has gained a national reputation for the quality and efficiency of its support to students, faculty and staff.
Soon, Ivy Tech Community College will be able to use those same resources under an agreement recently announced by both institutions.
Beginning in mid-October, IU’s client services and support division will provide 24/7 IT help desk and support services through telephone and email for faculty, staff and students on all Ivy Tech campuses. IU currently provides evening and weekend support for Ivy Tech.
“We are providing the best service for the least amount of cost to the students and taxpayers of Indiana,” Sue B. Workman, IU associate vice president of client services and support, said in a prepared statement. “This agreement eliminates duplication of systems, space, staff and management between the two institutions, so we both make effective use of tuition and state resources. These additional 24-hour support services can provide essential help for full-time students — especially those who are balancing work, families and education on a part-time basis.”
The state’s two largest higher education institutions already have an information technology relationship. In 2011, Ivy Tech moved its primary data center to the Information and Communications Technology Complex on IU’s Indianapolis campus. A 2011 project connected an additional 21 Ivy Tech Community College campuses to Indiana’s I-Light, a high-speed digital network for education and research.
Ivy Tech will pay IU a flat fee for the first two years of the collaboration, based on the Ivy Tech system’s existing support needs. The costs for remaining optional years of the contract will be based on the actual support volume of the first two years of the contract.
IU’s client services and support division is a unit of University Information Technology Services, which falls under the leadership of Vice President for Information Technology Brad Wheeler. According to IU Communications, over the past few years, the group successfully managed more than 200,000 personal contacts via a variety of communication options — phone, email, chat, walk-in and carry-in. The latest customer surveys report satisfaction ratings of 92 percent and higher in the areas of email support, online self-help and phone support.
“This is another example of an excellent collaboration between Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College systemwide that is designed to achieve maximum efficiencies on the Ivy Tech side of the equation,” said John Whikehart, chancellor of Ivy Tech Bloomington. “I have complete confidence in Brad Wheeler, vice president at IU, and Anne Brinson, chief information officer for Ivy Tech, to make this a success.”
Sue B. Workman, IU associate vice president of client services and support
Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2012
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
